From dark & dreary to light & cheery

Hubs and I have been itching to remodel the kitchen from the floor up. With our first baby on the way, there was no better time to get it done before his arrival! Now that we only have a little over a month to go, I feel like I can finish nesting with the new kitchen completed. Thanks to hubby, who’s quite the handyman, we were able to do all of this without hiring out for help and he was able to teach me a lot of new tips!

First: Make Decisions
This can become as big of a project as you want, so plan ahead with the details. Next, create a budget. Remodeling can be very expensive and become more work than you expect. Once you’ve decided on your plan, you’ll need to figure out the order in which each step needs to be taken (i.e.: you’ll want to lay flooring before you put on new trim).

Second: Discard and Purchase
It’s demo time! Get rid of the old and bring in the new. Start by painting the walls; the next major step for us was the flooring. We have beautiful wood floors throughout our entire home, but the kitchen was one of the only rooms that did not. Because the floors had been laid some time before, it was nearly impossible to match them, so we picked out a nice gray tile slate instead, which we laid, grouted and sealed.

Third: On to all the other projects
Next, were the cabinets. We had a row of cabinets hanging over the counter, which were removed to open up the space. Hubs and I had quality solid wood cabinets, but I was not too fond of the finish. So instead of getting new cabinets we decided to paint them. We used Behr Enamel Alkyd paint. It goes great on cabinets, doors and any piece of furniture you want to save from scratches, staining and discoloration. This was an extremely tedious task, but well worth the outcome. First, we removed the cabinet doors and stripped the gloss of the wood on both the doors and the base of the cabinets. They were cleaned thoroughly and then rolled with two layers of primer, followed by two layers of paint. From there we got new hinges and pulls for each cabinet. Next, we installed new light fixtures, windows, a sink, a faucet and other appliances. We also added a backsplash, new outlet covers and dimmers.

For us, this was a huge project that took months to finish. My best advice is to do your research, ask questions at your local hardware store and take your time. There is no greater reward then looking back at the hard work you put into your room.

Melissa Dowrick

Melissa Dowrick is a MSU graduate, M3 Group event planner and a dog mom of two. She loves fashion and fall is her favorite season. She embraces all the good things because life is too short to be unhappy!